Emodin inhibits bladder inflammation and fibrosis in mice with interstitial cystitis by regulating JMJD3

Purpose: Interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) is a devastating urological chronic pelvic pain condition. In search of a potential treatment, we investigated the effect of emodin on IC/BPS inflammation and fibrosis, and explore the potential mechanism. Methods: An experimental model of interstitial cystitis was induced by cyclophosphamide, and human bladder smooth muscle cells were treated with lipopolysaccharide to establish the cell model in vitro. In both models, inflammation- and fibrosis-related indexes were measured after emodin administration. Furthermore, the specific antagonists were used to dig for the mechanisms underlying the response to emodin treatment. Results: Emodin significantly ameliorated management of cystitis, reduced the amount of inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-α, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, interleukin-1ß, interleukin-8, and interleukin-6) in models, as well as reducing the synthesis of fibrosis marker including collagen1, collagen3, vimentin, fibronectin and α-smooth muscle actin. Further mechanism studies demonstrated that emodin inhibited inflammatory reaction and fibrosis through blocking lysine-specific demethylase 6B (JMJD3) expression via JAK/STAT, NF-κB and TGF-ß/SMAD pathways. Conclusions: Our study reveals the critical role of emodin-JMJD3 signaling in interstitial cystitis by regulating inflammation, fibrosis, and extracellular matrix deposition in cells and tissues, and these findings provide an avenue for effective treatment of patients with cystitis.

Progress of research on the pharmacological effects and mechanisms of emodin / 中国药科大学学报

@#As an active hydroxyanthraquinone ingredient, emodin is abundant in Chinese medicine herbs, such as Rheum palmatum, Polygonum cuspidatum and Polygonum multiflorum.Modern pharmacological studies have shown that emodin has a variety of pharmacological activities including anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory and immunoregulatory, antibacterial and anti-viral effects, myocardial protection, neuroprotection, renal protection, bone protection, antifibrosis and so on, which indicate its high medicinal value and broad application prospects.This article aims to summarize the progress in the pharmacological activity and mechanism of action of emodin published in domestic and international journals over the last 5 years and highlight the potential targets and molecular signaling pathways linked with emodin, so as to provide some clues and references for further development and clinical application of emodin.

Hepatoprotective activity of cis-(trans)-emodin-emodin dianthrone from Polygonum multiflorum Thunb / 药学学报

The cis-emodin-emodin dianthrone (compound 1) and trans-emodin-emodin dianthrone (compound 2) were extracted from Polygonum multiflorum Thunb. The protective effect and mechanism of compound 1 and compound 2 (emodin-emodin dianthrones) on acute liver injury induced by concanavalin A (ConA) in ICR mice was first investigated. The results indicated that emodin-emodin dianthrones at 1 mg·kg-1 significantly reduced serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) level (P < 0.05). Emodin-emodin dianthrones also improved liver histopathological damage in liver-injured mice. The level of Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax) mRNA in liver was significantly reduced by 1 mg·kg-1 of emodin-emodin dianthrones, while the level of B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) mRNA expression was significantly increased (P < 0.05). The protective activity of compounds 1 and 2 against hepatocyte injury was further evaluated by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced hepatocyte injury. Compounds 1 and 2 significantly inhibited H2O2-induced hepatocyte injury and reduced the levels of ALT, AST, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in cell culture. Compounds 1 and 2 also significantly improved the cell survival rate and decreased H2O2-induced oxidative stress in hepatocytes. Compound 1 (0.5 µmol·L-1) significantly increased the enzymatic activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in hepatocytes (P < 0.01), and 0.5 µmol·L-1 of compound 2 significantly decreased the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), increased SOD enzyme activity, and glutathione (GSH) content (P < 0.01). Compounds 1 and 2 at 0.5 µmol·L-1 also inhibited hepatocyte apoptosis by increasing the protein expression ratio of Bcl-2/Bax (P < 0.05) and decreasing the protein expression ratio of cleaved caspase-3 and pro caspase-3 (P < 0.05). This study indicates that the emodin-emodin dianthrones from Polygonum multiflorum Thunb. have liver-protective activity. Compounds 1 and 2 exerted hepatoprotective effects by inhibiting apoptosis and oxidative stress. The study provides an important material basis for the hepatoprotective effect of commonly used amounts of Polygonum multiflorum Thunb.

A Review on Pharmacological and Therapeutic Potential of Aloe barbadensis Miller

Aloe vera, a popular succulent perennial medicinal plant with a wide range of phytochemicals that have shown various pharmacological activities including anti-oxidant, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, wound healing promotion and so on. Acemannan, aloe-emodin, aloin, aloesin, and emodin are widely investigated active constituents that show various pharmacological activities. Thus, the purpose of this review is to highlight previous pharmacological studied conducted in vivo, in vitro and human assays over the past decades. As current pharmacological research is focused on anticancer and neurological action, it would be interesting and important to study the main compounds present in Aloe vera for therapeutic purposes.

Mechanism of emodin in relieving neuropathic pain by regulating serum metabolism / 中国中药杂志

The present study investigated the effect of emodin on the serum metabolite profiles in the chronic constriction injury(CCI) model by non-target metabolomics and explored its analgesic mechanism. Twenty-four Sprague Dawley(SD) rats were randomly divided into a sham group(S), a CCI group(C), and an emodin group(E). The rats in the emodin group were taken emodin via gavage once a day for fifteen days(50 mg·kg~(-1)) on the first day after the CCI surgery. Mechanical withdrawal threshold(MWT) and thermal withdrawal threshold(TWL) in each group were performed before the CCI surgery and 3,7, 11, and 15 days after surgery. After 15 days, blood samples were collected from the abdominal aorta. The differential metabolites were screened out by non-target metabolomics and analyzed with Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) and ingenuity pathway analysis(IPA). From the third day after CCI surgery, the MWT and TWL values were reduced significantly in both CCI group and emodin group, compared with the sham group(P<0.01). At 15 days post-surgery, the MWT and TWL values in emodin group increased significantly compared with the CCI group(P<0.05). As revealed by non-target metabolomics, 72 differential serum metabolites were screened out from the C-S comparison, including 41 up-regulated and 31 down-regulated ones, while 26 differential serum metabolites from E-C comparison, including 10 up-regulated and 16 down-regulated ones. KEGG analysis showed that the differential metabolites in E-C comparison were enriched in the signaling pathways, such as sphingolipid metabolism, arginine biosynthesis, glycerophospholipid metabolism, and tryptophan metabolism. IPA showed that the differential metabolites were mainly involved in the lipid metabolism-molecular transport-small molecule biochemistry network. In conclusion, emodin can exert an analgesic role via regulating sphingolipid metabolism and arginine biosynthesis.

Formulation optimization of emodin nanostructured lipid carriers by Box-Behnken response surface method and in vitro quality evaluation / 中国中药杂志

Emodin nanostructured lipid carriers(ED-NLC) were prepared and their quality was evaluated in vitro. Based on the results of single-factor experiments, the ED-NLC formulation was optimized by Box-Behnken response surface method with the dosages of emodin, isopropyl myristate and poloxamer 188 as factors and the nanoparticle size, encapsulation efficiency and drug loading as evaluation indexes. Then the evaluation was performed on the morphology, size and in vitro release of the nanoparticles prepared by emulsification-ultrasonic dispersion method in line with the optimal formulation, i.e., 3.27 mg emodin, 148.68 mg isopropyl myristate and 173.48 mg poloxamer 188. Under a transmission electron microscope(TEM), ED-NLC were spherical and their particle size distribution was uniform. The particle size of ED-NLC was(97.02±1.55) nm, the polymer dispersion index 0.21±0.01, the zeta potential(-38.96±0.65) mV, the encapsulation efficiency 90.41%±0.56% and the drug loading 1.55%±0.01%. The results of differential scanning calorimeter(DSC) indicated that emodin may be encapsulated into the nanostructured lipid carriers in molecular or amorphous form. In vitro drug release had obvious characteristics of slow release, which accorded with the first-order drug release equation. The fitting model of Box-Behnken response surface methodology was proved accurate and reliable. The optimal formulation-based ED-NLC featured concentrated particle size distribution and high encapsulation efficiency, which laid a foundation for the follow-up study of ED-NLC in vivo.

Exploration of the effect of EphB2 inhibitors on cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma and their mechanisms of action based on Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway / 中华皮肤科杂志

Objective:To screen small-molecule inhibitors of tyrosine kinase receptor B2 (EphB2) by using a molecular docking method, and to investigate their effect on cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) and possible mechanisms of action.Methods:The three-dimensional structure of EphB2 protein and its ligand binding sites were predicted by using the docking tool Schrodinger, and high-throughput virtual screening of EphB2 inhibitors was carried out by molecular docking. The anti-CSCC effect and mechanism of action of the screened EphB2 inhibitors kaempferitrin and aloe-emodin (AE) were verified in in vitro and in vivo experiments. In the in vitro experiments, human CSCC cell lines A431 and SCL-1, as well as the human immortalized keratinocyte HaCaT, were all divided into blank control group, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) group, AE group and kaempferitrin group. Methyl thiazol tetrazolium (MTT) assay (AE at concentrations of 20, 40, 80, 160 μmol/L, kaempferitrin at concentrations of 12.5, 25, 50, 100 μmol/L), scratch and Transwell assays (AE at a fixed concentration of 80 μmol/L, kaempferitrin at a fixed concentration of 50 μmol/L) were performed to analyze the effect of EphB2 inhibitors on the proliferation, migration and invasion of CSCC cells. In the in vivo experiments, specific pathogen-free BALB/c female nude mice were subcutaneously injected with 0.2 ml of A431 cell suspension. After tumor growth, 24 tumor-bearing mice were randomly and equally divided into 4 groups: AE group and kaempferitrin group intraperitoneally injected with 20 mg·kg -1·d -1 AE and 25 mg·kg -1·d -1 kaempferitrin respectively, blank control group and DMSO group intraperitoneally injected with the same volume of sodium chloride physiological solution and DMSO respectively; the tumor size and body weight of nude mice were measured weekly; after consecutive treatment for 28 days, transplanted tumors were resected from the nude mice for hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining, and real-time fluorescence-based quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blot analysis were performed to analyze the effect of AE and kaempferitrin on the mRNA and protein expression of E-cadherin, vimentin, glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK-3β), phosphorylated GSK-3β (p-GSK-3β) and β-catenin respectively. One-way analysis of variance and t test were used for comparisons between groups. Results:Two small-molecule compounds AA-504/20999031 (kaempferitrin) and AA-466/21162055 (AE) with high inhibitory activity against EphB2 were screened out. MTT assay showed that both AE and kaempferitrin exhibited strong cytotoxicity to SCL-1 and A431 cells compared with HaCaT cells, and their toxicity increased with the increase of their concentration ( F = 17.95, 11.34, respectively, both P < 0.001) ; after 48-hour treatment, the 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC50s) of AE against SCL-1 and A431 cells were 124.59 and 80.85 μmol/L respectively, and the IC50s of kaempferitrin against SCL-1 and A431 cells were 119.64 and 64.96 μmol/L respectively. Scratch assay showed that the migration distance of A431 cells was significantly shorter in the AE group and kaempferitrin group (36.7 ± 1.0 μm, 44.7 ± 3.5 μm, respectively) than in the DMSO group (88.1 ± 1.4 μm, F = 52.34, P < 0.001), while there was no significant difference in the migration distance of HaCaT cells among the above groups ( F = 1.73, P = 0.238). Transwell assay showed that the number of A431 cells crossing the Transwell membrane significantly decreased in the AE group and kaempferitrin group (145.0 ± 2.5, 94.7 ± 4.1, respectively) compared with the DMSO group (195.3 ± 5.7, F = 72.85, P < 0.001), while neither AE nor kaempferitrin showed significant inhibitory effects of on the number of HaCaT cells crossing the Transwell membrane ( F = 3.91, P = 0.055). The animal experiment revealed significantly decreased volumes of transplanted tumors in nude mice in the AE group and kaempferitrin group (407.42 ± 70.37 mm 3, 368.77 ± 62.7 mm 3, respectively) compared with the DMSO group (841.88 ± 84.63 mm 3, F = 73.78, P < 0.001). HE staining confirmed that AE and kaempferitrin could improve pathological changes of transplanted tumors. qRT-PCR and Western blot analysis showed that AE and kaempferitrin significantly up-regulated the mRNA and protein expression of E-cadherin and p-GSK-3β in tumor tissues (all P < 0.001), and down-regulated the mRNA and protein expression of vimentin, β-catenin and GSK-3β (all P < 0.001) . Conclusion:The small-molecule inhibitors screened by molecular docking can form a stable complex with EphB2, and inhibit the progression of CSCC by affecting the Wnt/β-catenin pathway-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

Therapeutic mechanism of emodin for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: a network pharmacology-based analysis / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the therapeutic mechanism of emodin in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) using a network pharmacology-based method and validate this mechanism in a fibroblast-like synovial cell line.@*METHODS@#The PubChem, Targetnet, SwissTargetPrediction, Genecards, OMIM, and DisGeNET databases were searched to obtain emodin targets and RA-related genes. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed, and GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses were carried out to analyze the intersection genes. AutoDock4.2.6 software was used to simulate molecular docking between emodin and its candidate targets. In a cultured fibroblast-like synovial cell line (MH7A), the effects of different concentrations of emodin on proliferation of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)-induced cells were investigated using CCK-8 assay, cell scratch experiment and flow cytometry; the changes in the expressions of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathway proteins were detected using Western blotting, and the mRNA expressions of the hub genes were examined with RT-qPCR.@*RESULTS@#We identified 32 intersection genes of emodin and RA, and the key targets including CAPS3, ESR1, and MAPK14 involved mainly the NF-κB signaling pathway. Cell scratch experiment and flow cytometry demonstrated a strong inhibitory effect of emodin on MH7A cell proliferation. Treatment with TNF-α significantly increased the cellular expressions of the NF-κB pathway proteins, which were obviously lowered by treatment with 80 μmol/L emodin. The results of RT-qPCR showed that TNF-α treatment obviously up-regulated the expressions of the hub genes COX2 and P38MAPK, and emodin treatment significantly down-regulated the expressions of MAPK and PTGS2 and up-regulated the expression of CASP3.@*CONCLUSION@#The therapeutic effect of emodin on RA is mediated mainly through regulation of cell proliferation, apoptosis, and the NF-κB pathway.

Effect of Aloe-emodin on Aβ42 Aggregation and Cytotoxicity in Presence of Al3+ / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo study the inhibitory effect of aloe-emodin （AE） on aluminum ion （Al3+）-induced β-amyloid protein 42 （Aβ42） aggregation and its depolymerization on formed Aβ42-Al3+ aggregates in vitro， and to investigate the effect of AE on the cytotoxicity of Aβ42 aggregation in the presence of Al3+. MethodThe Aβ42 group， Aβ42+Al3+ group， Aβ42+AE group， Aβ42+Al3++AE group and the depolymerization test group were set up in the experiment. The aggregation fibrosis process， aggregation morphology， aggregation size and cytotoxicity of Aβ42 in each group were detected by thioflavin T （ThT） fluorescence assay， transmission electron microscopy （TEM）， dynamic light scattering （DLS） experiment and thiazolyl blue （MTT） cytotoxicity assay. ResultCompared with the Aβ42 group， Al3+ could promote Aβ42 aggregation， increase the fluorescence intensity of ThT by 124.48%， induce the aggregation of Aβ42 to form fiber bundles with larger particle size， and significantly reduce the cell viability of human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells （P<0.01）， thus reducing the cell survival rate to 51.05%. AE not only inhibited Aβ42 aggregation， but also inhibited Al3+-induced Aβ42 aggregation in a concentration-dependent manner. Compared with the Aβ42+Al3+ group， high concentration of AE could reduce the ThT fluorescence intensity to 41.66%， and change the polypeptide aggregation pathway to form amorphous aggregates with small particle size. Besides， it significantly inhibited the cytotoxicity of Aβ42 induced by Al3+ （P<0.01）， and restored the cell survival rate to 84.87%. Further depolymerization was conducted， AE could depolymerize Aβ42-Al3+ aggregates to make the formed aggregates disappear and form some small-particle short fibers and amorphous structure aggregates with low toxicity. ConclusionAE can inhibit Aβ42 aggregation and cytotoxicity in the presence of Al3+， depolymerize the formed Aβ42-Al3+ aggregates and alleviate the cytotoxicity， thus laying the foundation for exploring the mechanism of AE in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Effect of Aloe-emodin on Aβ42 Aggregation and Cytotoxicity in Presence of Al3+ / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo study the inhibitory effect of aloe-emodin （AE） on aluminum ion （Al3+）-induced β-amyloid protein 42 （Aβ42） aggregation and its depolymerization on formed Aβ42-Al3+ aggregates in vitro， and to investigate the effect of AE on the cytotoxicity of Aβ42 aggregation in the presence of Al3+. MethodThe Aβ42 group， Aβ42+Al3+ group， Aβ42+AE group， Aβ42+Al3++AE group and the depolymerization test group were set up in the experiment. The aggregation fibrosis process， aggregation morphology， aggregation size and cytotoxicity of Aβ42 in each group were detected by thioflavin T （ThT） fluorescence assay， transmission electron microscopy （TEM）， dynamic light scattering （DLS） experiment and thiazolyl blue （MTT） cytotoxicity assay. ResultCompared with the Aβ42 group， Al3+ could promote Aβ42 aggregation， increase the fluorescence intensity of ThT by 124.48%， induce the aggregation of Aβ42 to form fiber bundles with larger particle size， and significantly reduce the cell viability of human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells （P<0.01）， thus reducing the cell survival rate to 51.05%. AE not only inhibited Aβ42 aggregation， but also inhibited Al3+-induced Aβ42 aggregation in a concentration-dependent manner. Compared with the Aβ42+Al3+ group， high concentration of AE could reduce the ThT fluorescence intensity to 41.66%， and change the polypeptide aggregation pathway to form amorphous aggregates with small particle size. Besides， it significantly inhibited the cytotoxicity of Aβ42 induced by Al3+ （P<0.01）， and restored the cell survival rate to 84.87%. Further depolymerization was conducted， AE could depolymerize Aβ42-Al3+ aggregates to make the formed aggregates disappear and form some small-particle short fibers and amorphous structure aggregates with low toxicity. ConclusionAE can inhibit Aβ42 aggregation and cytotoxicity in the presence of Al3+， depolymerize the formed Aβ42-Al3+ aggregates and alleviate the cytotoxicity， thus laying the foundation for exploring the mechanism of AE in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Emodin alleviates hypertrophic scar formation by suppressing macrophage polarization and inhibiting the Notch and TGF-β pathways in macrophages

Hypertrophic scar (HS) formation is a common complication that develops after skin injury; however, there are few effective and specific therapeutic approaches for HS. Emodin has previously been reported to inhibit mechanical stress-induced HS inflammation. Here, we investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying the inhibitory effects of emodin on HS formation. First, we conducted in vitro assays that revealed that emodin inhibited M1 and M2 polarization in rat macrophages. We subsequently established a combined rat model of tail HS and dorsal subcutaneous polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) sponge-induced wounds. Rats were treated with emodin or vehicle (DMEM). Tail scar specimens were harvested at 14, 28, and 42 days post-incision and subjected to H&E staining and Masson's trichrome staining. Histopathological analyses confirmed that emodin attenuated HS formation and fibrosis. Macrophages were separated from wound cells collected from the PVA sponge at 3 and 7 days after implantation. Flow cytometry analysis demonstrated that emodin suppressed in vivo macrophage recruitment and polarization at the wound site. Finally, we explored the molecular mechanisms of emodin in modulating macrophage polarization by evaluating the expression levels of selected effectors of the Notch and TGF-β pathways in macrophages isolated from PVA sponges. Western blot and qPCR assays showed that Notch1, Notch4, Hes1, TGF-β, and Smad3 were downregulated in response to emodin treatment. Taken together, our findings suggested that emodin attenuated HS formation and fibrosis by suppressing macrophage polarization, which is associated with the inhibition of the Notch and TGF-β pathways in macrophages.

Hepatotoxicity of Main Components of Polygonum multiflorum and Its Effects on Drug Metabolism Enzyme / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE：To study the hepatotoxicity of main components of Polygonum multiflorum ，and investigate its toxic mechanism based on metabolic enzymes. METHODS ：ADMETlab 2.0 platform was used to forecast the toxic or carcinogenic effects of emodin ，physcion，rhein，stilbene glycoside and gallic acid on liver ，skin and heart. The effects of those components on cytochrome P 450 enzyme system （CYP1A2，CYP2C9，CYP2C19，CYP2D6，CYP3A4）were evaluated. The effects of different concentrations of emodin ，rhein，stilbene glycoside and gallic acid （10，20，40，80 μmol/L）on the survival rate of normal hepatocyte L 02 were detected. The effects of major components of P. multiflorum on the activity of UGT 1A1 enzyme were studied by in vitro reaction system ，using bilirubin as substrate. RESULTS ：Main components of P. multiflorum ，ie. emodin ，physcion， rhein and gallic acid ，showed strong toxic effects on the liver ，while stilbene glycosides possessed weak toxic effects on the liver. Emodin and physcion had strong inhibitory effects on CYP 1A2 and medium inhibitory effects on CYP 2C9，CYP2D6 and CYP3A4；rhein showed medium inhibitory effects on CYP 1A2 and CYP 2C9，while stilbene glycoside and gallic acid possessed weak inhibitory effects on the above enzymes. Emodin （40，80 μmol/L）and gallic acid （40，80 μmol/L）could significantly reduce the survival rate of L 02 cells（P＜0.01）. The inhibition rate of 5，10，20，40，80 μmol/L emodin and gallic acid（except for 5 μmol/L emodin）on UGT 1A1 enzyme increased significantly （P＜0.01），and the inhibition effect of emodin on UGT 1A1 enzyme was reversible competitive inhibition. CONCLUSIONS ：The main components of P. multiflorum ，ie. emodin ，rhein and physcion ， are hepatotoxic ；the mechanism of it may be associated with inhibiting the activity of CYP 1A2 and CYP 2C9 and competitively blocking rate-limiting enzyme UGT 1A1 in the process of bilirubin metabolism.

Emodin Inhibits Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Inflammation by Activating Autophagy in RAW 264.7 Cells / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the effects of emodin on inflammation and autophagy in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages and reveal its underlying mechanism.@*METHODS@#3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium (MTS) assay was conducted to find the appropriate dose for emodin. RAW264.7 cells pretreated with different concentrations (0-50 μmol/L) of emodin or vehicle for 2 h prior to exposure to LPS for 16 h. Cell morphology was examined and propidium iodide staining was used to examine cell cycle. Expressions of inflammation-related proteins [nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κ B) and I-kappaB (I κ B)α] and autophagy-related proteins [light chain (LC)3, P62/sequestosome 1, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), and p-mTOR] were examined using Western blot analysis. Expression of inflammation-related cytokines including tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6 were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Autophagy was examined with LC3B fluorescence intensity and aggregation. The effect of emodin on autophagy was conducted with an autophagy inhibitor, 3-methyladenine (3-MA).@*RESULTS@#The expression of NF-κ B in LPS-induced cells was significantly increased (P<0.01) and simultaneously I κ B α decreased compared with the normal cell (P<0.05). The expressions of TNF-α, IL-β, and IL-6 proteins in the LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells were significantly higher than in the normal cell (P<0.05 or P<0.01). LPS increased the percentage of cells in the G@*CONCLUSION@#Emodin could inhibit inflammation of mice RAW264.7 macrophages induced by LPS, possibly through activating autophagy.

Research progress of effect of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma and its anthraquinone in treatment of autoimmune diseases / 中国中药杂志

Rhei Radix et Rhizoma was first recorded in Shennong Ben Cao Jing, with a wide range of pharmacological activities. Autoimmune disease is a kind of disease that damages the tissue structure and function of immune cells and their components due to the impairment of immune tolerance function, including atherosclerosis, multiple sclerosis, gout, rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmune thyroiditis, ulcerative colitis, type 1 diabetes and IgA nephropathy. In recent years, clinical and experimental studies show that Rhei Radix et Rhizoma has potential therapeutic effects on autoimmune diseases. Under the guidance of the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, this paper reviews therapeutic and intervening effects of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma and its main active ingredient anthraquinone on autoimmune diseases. It also puts forward new study directions in view of the existing problems in studies of rhubarb and its anthraquinone, with the aim to provide reference for clinical treatment and scientific studies of effect of Rhei Radix et Rhizomaon autoimmune diseases.

Effect of calcium phosphate bone cement scaffolds loaded with emodin on osteogenic activity of osteoblasts / 中华创伤杂志

Objective:To explore the effect of calcium phosphate cement（CPC）scaffold loaded with emodin（EMO）on osteogenic activity of osteoblasts.Methods:The bone cement scaffold was prepared by mixing EMO powder and CPC powder（ratio 1∶9），adding citric acid and then was poured into polytetrafluoroethylene mold（EMO-CPC group）. A dose of 0.36 g CPC powder was mixed with citric acid and injected into the polytetrafluoroethylene mold（CPC group）. General morphology，setting time（initial setting time and final setting time），injection rate and compressive strength of stents were compared between the two groups. Primary osteoblasts were extracted and co-cultured with two sets of scaffolds. After co-culture for 3 days，their characterization was observed by scanning electron microscopy. Live/dead cell staining and 3-（4,5-dimethylthiazole-2）-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide（MTT）colorimetric method were used to detect cell viability，toxicity and proliferation activity of scaffolds. Two sets of scaffolds were stained with immunofluorescence for osteopontin（OPN），and protein expression was observed under an inverted fluorescence microscope. After co-culture for 7 days，tetrazolium nitro blue/5-bromo-4-chloro- 3-indolyl-phosphate（NBT/BCIP）staining method was used for alkaline phosphatase（ALP）staining. After co-culture for 14 days，two sets of scaffolds were stained with Alizarin Red to detect their osteogenic activity.Results:Two sets of stents showed relatively smooth and flat topography under the scanning electron microscope. There were no significant differences in initial setting time，final setting time，injection rate and compressive strength of stents between two groups（ P > 0.05）. After co-culture for 3 days，the osteoblast clusters were adhered to the surface of the EMO-CPC scaffold，with good shape. Viable cell rate reached（98.2 ± 0.1）% in EMO-CPC group and（90.2% ± 0.1）% in CPC group（ P <0.05）. Cell proliferation activity in EMO-CPC group was stronger than that in CPC group（ P < 0.05）. OPN-specific staining showed that EMO-CPC group had stronger OPN protein fluorescence expression compared to CPC group. After co-culture for 7 days，expression of ALP in EMO-CPC group was higher than that in CPC group. After co-culture for 14 days，staining intensity of Alizarin Red in EMO-CPC group was more significant than that in CPC group. Conclusions:The EMO-CPC scaffold can provide a suitable environment for the growth of osteoblasts for it has better biocompatibility，cell proliferation and osteogenic activity than the CPC scaffold.

Simultaneous determination of five ingredients in Taohe-Chengqi Decoction by UPLC-MS/MS / 国际中医中药杂志

Objective:To develop the UPLC-MS/MS method for the determination of amygdalin, cinnamic acid, rhein, emodin and glycyrrhizic acid in Taohe-Chengqi Decoction simutaneously. Methods:The separation was performed on Supelco Discovery C18, and isocratic elution was carried out with mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile - 4 mmol/L ammonium formate. The mass spectrometer was operated in the positive and negative ionization electrospray (ESI) mode using multiple monitoring (MRM) to analize of five ingredients. The precursor to product ion transitions monitored for amygdalin, cinnamic acid, rhein, emodin and glycyrrhizic acid were m/z 458.2→296.0, 146.8→103.1, 283.7→239.9, 269.7→226.1 and 821.4→350.9, respectively. Results:Amygdalin, cinnamic acid, rhein, emodin and glycyrrhizic acid were analyzed, the linear ranges were 0.001 6-0.102 4, 0.001 6-0.102 4, 0.001 6-0.102 4, 0.000 8-0.051 2 and 0.000 4-0.256 0 ng, respectively. The r were 0.998 7, 0.999 1, 0.999 5, 0.998 9 and 0.998 6, respectively. The recovery of five analytes ranges from 97.33% to 105.33% and the Relative Standard Deviations were all below 2.69%. Conclusion:This UPLC-MS/MS method is exclusive, rapid and sensitivewhich could be applied for the determination of amygdalin, cinnamic acid, rhein, emodin and glycyrrhizic acid in Taohe-Chengqi Decoction.

Inhibitory Effects of Ligustrazine Plus Emodin on Expression of VEGF-related Factors in Ascites Carcinoma Walker-256 Cells / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To investigate the effects of ligustrazine combined with emodin on angiogenesis of ascites carcinoma Walker-256 cells by observing their inhibition against nuclear factor-<italic>κ</italic>B （NF-<italic>κ</italic>B）， hypoxia-inducible factor-1<italic>α</italic> （HIF-1<italic>α</italic>）， and vascular endothelial growth factor-C （VEGF-C） in HIF signaling pathway. Method:Fifty SD rats were randomly divided into sham operation group， model group， ligustrazine group， emodin group and ligustrazine combined with emodin group. Following the in situ injection of rat ascites carcinoma Walker-256 cells into the liver of normal rats， they were grouped and administered with ligustrazine （10 mg·kg^-1）， emodin （10 mg·kg^-1）， and ligustrazine （10 mg·kg^-1） plus emodin （10 mg·kg^-1） for seven days. Afterwards， the tumor-inoculated liver tissue was sampled from the experimental group and prepared into pathological sections for investigating tumor cell survival and VEGF expression. The <italic>in vitro</italic> hypoxia and hypoglycemia model （oxygen-glucose deprivation model）， hypoxia model， and hypoglycemia model of Walker-256 cells were constructed respectively. In the ligustrazine group， emodin group， and ligustrazine combined with emodin group， three consecutive concentrations that did not affect the proliferation of Walker-256 cells were selected for investigation. The drugs were administered before modeling， and the model treatment lasted for 4 h. The levels of HIF-1<italic>α</italic>， VEGF-C， and NF-<italic>κ</italic>B in the cell culture supernatant of each group were tested. Result:After the rat liver was inoculated with Walker-256 cells， the total liver mass was significantly increased（<italic>P</italic><0.05）， higher than that in the ligustrazine group， the emodin group， or the ligustrazine combined with emodin group（<italic>P</italic><0.05）. Histopathological examination showed that the response of VEGF expression in the liver tissue of each administration group was lower than that of the model group. At the cellular level， the levels of HIF-1<italic>α</italic>， VEGF-C， and NF-<italic>κ</italic>B in oxygen-glucose deprivation model of the ligustrazine group and the ligustrazine combined with emodin group were significantly reduced（<italic>P</italic><0.05）， exhibiting a certain dose-dependent response， followed by the reduction in the hypoxia model. The levels of HIF-1<italic>α</italic> and NF-<italic>κ</italic>B in the oxygen-glucose deprivation model and the hypoglycemia model of the emodin（1×10^-2，1×10^-3 mol·L^-1） group and the ligustrazine combined with emodin（1×10^-2，1×10^-3 mol·L^-1） group were significantly reduced， but there was no significant change in VEGF-C level of the hypoxia model of all the administration groups. Conclusion:Ligustrazine or emodin alone or their combination inhibits the abnormal increase in the weight of rat liver after inoculation with Walker-256 cells and the expression of VEGF in the liver tissue. Ligustrazine and emodin inhibit the protein expression of NF-<italic>κ</italic>B and HIF-1<italic>α</italic>， thereby reducing the gene and protein expression of metastasis-related target VEGF-A activated by HIF-1<italic>α</italic> transcription， restricting tumor cell neovascularization， and inhibiting the invasion and spread of ascites carcinoma cells. Among them， ligustrazine has the most significant effect against hypoxia. Glucose interferes with the effect of ligustrazine. The combination of ligustrazine with emodin is conducive to diminishing the intervention of glucose and stabilizing the inhibition against tumor cells.

Selective phytochemicals targeting pancreatic stellate cells as new anti-fibrotic agents for chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer

Activated pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) have been widely accepted as a key precursor of excessive pancreatic fibrosis, which is a crucial hallmark of chronic pancreatitis (CP) and its formidable associated disease, pancreatic cancer (PC). Hence, anti-fibrotic therapy has been identified as a novel therapeutic strategy for treating CP and PC by targeting PSCs. Most of the anti-fibrotic agents have been limited to phase I/II clinical trials involving vitamin analogs, which are abundant in medicinal plants and have proved to be promising for clinical application. The use of phytomedicines, as new anti-fibrotic agents, has been applied to a variety of complementary and alternative approaches. The aim of this review was to present a focused update on the selective new potential anti-fibrotic agents, including curcumin, resveratrol, rhein, emodin, green tea catechin derivatives, metformin, eruberin A, and ellagic acid, in combating PSC in CP and PC models. It aimed to describe the mechanism(s) of the phytochemicals used, either alone or in combination, and the associated molecular targets. Most of them were tested in PC models with similar mechanism of actions, and curcumin was tested intensively. Future research may explore the issues of bioavailability, drug design, and nano-formulation, in order to achieve successful clinical outcomes with promising activity and tolerability.

Protective Effect of Polydatin Complicated with Emodin on Hyperuricemia Model Rats with Median Effect Principle / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE：To s tudy the protective effect of polydat in complicated with emodin on hyperuricemia （HUA）model rats，and to screen the optimal complication proportion and investigate the potential mechanism. METHODS ：SD rats were randomly divided into normal control group ，model group ，benzbromarone group （positive control ，8 mg/kg），polydatin alone group，emodin alone group and drug combination group A ，B，C，with 5 rats in each group of each dosage. Normal control group and model group were given constant volume of 0.3％ CMC-Na solution ，administration groups were given relevant medicine intragastrically. Each group was given 0.1 mL/10 g intragastrically once a day ，for consecutive 7 d. Expect for normal control group，other groups were given intraperitoneal injection of potassium oxonate 300 mg/kg 1 h before last medication to induce HUA model. One hour after last medication ，the serum contents of uric acid （UA）were determined in normal control group ，model group，benzbromarone group ，polydatin/alone group （0.625，1.25，2.5，5，10 mg/kg）and drug combination group A [the dose of polydatin+emodin were （0.625+0.625），（1.25+1.25），（2.5+ 2.5），（5 + 5），（10 + 10） mg/kg]. The effect （Fa） and combination index （CI） of above single drug groups and combination groups were calculated by the median effect principle. The dose-effect relationship curves of twocomponents alone or combination were drawn ；Fa-CI curves after simulation were als o drawn to evaluate the effect of two-drug combination. Serum contents of UA in rats were determined and Fa value was calculated in single drug groups and drug combination group B ，C [the dose of polydatin+emodin were （0.625+ 0.625），（0.625+1.25），（0.625+2.5），（0.625+5），（0.625+10）mg/kg and （0.625+0.625），（1.25+0.625），（2.5+0.625），（5+ 0.625），（10+0.625）mg/kg]. The optimal complication proportion of two drugs were screened. The serum contents of xanthine oxidase（XOD）in rats were determined in normal control group ，model group ，benzbromarone group ，polydatin/emodin alone group（10 mg/kg）and the optimal complication proportion groups. The mechanism was analyzed primarily. RESULTS ：Compared with normal control group ，the content of UA in model group was increased significantly （P＜0.01）. Compared with model group ， except for 0.625 mg/kg polydatin alone group ，the content of UA in other administration groups were decreased significantly （P＜ 0.05 or P＜0.01）. When the two drugs were used alone or in combination ，Fa value was positively correlated with drug dose （intercept＞0，correlation coefficient ＞0.9），and Fa value of the combination group was higher than that of any single drug group ； when the simulated Fa value was more than 15％，the corresponding CI value was less than 1，two-drug combination showed synergistic effect. When the complication proportion of polydatin and emodin was 1∶4，the Fa value （53.10）was similar to that of drug combination group A （53.73），and the dose of them were less [ （0.625+2.5）mg/（kg·d）vs.（2.5+2.5）mg/（kg·d）]. Compared with normal control group ，serum content of XOD in model group was increased significantly （P＜0.01）；compared with model group，serum content of XOD in administration groups were decreased significantly ，and the optimal complication proportion group was significantly lower than polydatin alone group and emodin alone group （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. CONCLUSIONS ：The polydatin and emodin used alone or in combination can reduce the serum content of UA in HUA model rats by inhibiting the generation of XOD. They have a certain synergistic effect ，and the optimal complication proportion is 1∶4.

Preliminary study on hepatotoxic components in Polygoni Multiflori Radix based on different adjuvants processing for detoxification / 中草药

Objective: To provide references for optimizing adjuvants with Polygoni Multiflori Radix (PMR), we compared the effects of detoxification by different adjuvants processing according to Chinese medicine’s records of past dynasties. Methods: The chemical information of all samples including crude and processed PMR with different adjuvants was characterized by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS, and the normal human hepatocytes (L02 cell line) was cultured in vitro to evaluate the cytotoxicity, then we gave synthetic analyses on effects of processed PMR with different adjuvants for toxicity-decreasing and variations of chemical contents. The difference of toxicity reducing effect and the rule of composition change of PMR processed with different adjuvants were compared comprehensively. Results: Different adjuvants had different level of effects on chemical fingerprint, index component and cytotoxicity of PMR under the same conditions of pressure and time. More specifically, black bean, jujube and rice-rinsing water had greater impact on PMR main components including gallic acid, catechins, cis-stilbene glycoside, trans-stilbene glycoside, emodin-8-O-β-D-glucoside, physcion and emodin as well as hepatotoxicity. The three adjuvants with the best toxicity-decreasing effects were in sequence of rice-rinsing water > jujube > black bean. Furthermore, comprehensive analysis of simple correlation and multiple correlation suggested that cis-stilbene glycoside might be the main chemical component contributed to hepatotoxicity of PMR, and emodin-8-O-β-D-glucoside might be the potential toxicity component. Conclusion: Different adjuvants traditionally recorded can attenuate the toxicity of PMR. In addition to black beans, rice-rinsing water and jujube can also be used as candidate adjuvants for the toxicity-decreasing of PMR.